Service system, information processing apparatus, and service providing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11310419-B2
Application number	US-202016995328-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2020
Priority date	Dec 5, 2014
Publication date	Apr 19, 2022
Grant date	Apr 19, 2022

Abstract

A service system includes a mobile terminal and an information processing device capable of communication via a network. The mobile terminal includes a first transmission unit that transmits spherical images taken in respective imaging locations and positional information about the imaging locations to the information processing device. The information processing device includes a reception unit that receives the spherical images transmitted by the first transmission unit; a map data obtaining unit that obtains map data from a map data storage, the map data including the imaging locations of the spherical images; a path information creation unit that creates information about a path made by connecting the imaging locations in the map data obtained by the map data obtaining unit; and a content providing unit that makes content available for a request through the network, the content including the map data, the information about the path, and the spherical images.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
an imaging device configured to capture images and capture a map of a physical location, the map indicating imaging locations of the captured images; and
circuitry configured to
receive a display request from a terminal connected via a network,
read a first image of the captured images and a particular map indicating an imaging location of the first image from the memory, based on the display request, and
transmit, to the terminal, the first image and the particular map, the particular map including a first figure indicating the imaging location of the first image, and the first image including a second figure indicating a direction to an imaging location of a second image, of the captured images, that is adjacent to the first image.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the particular map transmitted to the terminal includes a third figure indicating an angle of view at which the first image is displayed.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the particular map transmitted to the terminal includes a plurality of first figures indicating respective imaging locations of a plurality of the captured images.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the second figure is displayed on the first image along a direction from the first image to the second image.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the imaging device is an omni-directional imaging device including at least two imaging elements.

6. A terminal connected to a server via a network, the terminal comprising:
circuitry configured to
transmit a display request to the server,
receive a first image and a particular map indicating an imaging location of the first image, the first image and the particular map being transmitted from the server in accordance with the display request, and
display the received first image and the particular map, the particular map including a first figure indicating the imaging location of the first image, and the first image including a second figure indicating a direction to an imaging location of a second image that is adjacent to the first image,

wherein the first image, the second image, and the particular map are captured by an imaging device and stored in a memory, the particular map indicating imaging locations of the first and second images.

7. The terminal according to claim 6 , wherein
when the first image is displayed on the terminal, the circuitry is further configured to display, on the particular map, a third figure indicating an angle of view at which the first image is displayed.

8. The terminal according to claim 6 , wherein the displayed particular map includes a plurality of first figures indicating respective imaging locations of a plurality of the captured images.

9. The terminal according to claim 6 , wherein the second figure is displayed on the first image along a direction from the first image to the second image.

10. The terminal according to claim 6 , wherein the circuitry is configured is configured to receive the first image and the particular map, which are captured by an omni-directional imaging device including at least two imaging elements.

11. A method, comprising:
acquiring, using an imaging device, captured images and a map of a physical location, the map indicating imaging locations of the captured images;
receiving a display request from a terminal via a network;
reading a first image of the captured images and a particular map indicating an imaging location of the first image from the memory, based on the display request; and
transmitting, to the terminal, the first image and the particular map, the particular map including a first figure indicating the imaging location of the first image, and the first image including a second figure indicating a direction to an imaging location of a second image, of the captured images, that is adjacent to the first image.

12. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:
when the first image is displayed on the terminal, displaying, on the particular map, a third figure indicating an angle of view at which the first image is displayed.

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the displayed particular map includes a plurality of first figures indicating respective imaging locations of a plurality of the captured images.

14. The method according to claim 11 , wherein
the second is displayed on the first image along a direction from the first image to the second image.

15. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the acquiring step comprises acquiring the captured images and the map using the imaging device, which is an omni-directional imaging device including at least two imaging elements.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including computer executable instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:
storing, in a memory, captured images and a map of a physical location, the map indicating imaging locations of the captured images;
receiving a display request from a terminal via a network;
reading a first image of the captured images and a particular map indicating an imaging location of the first image, from the memory, based on the display request; and
transmitting, to the terminal, the first image and the particular map, the particular map including a first figure indicating the imaging location of the first image, and the first image including a second figure indicating a direction to an imaging location of a second image, of the captured images, that is adjacent to the first image.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16 , further comprising:
when the first image is displayed on the terminal, displaying, on the particular map, a third figure indicating an angle of view at which the first image is displayed.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16 , wherein the displayed particular map includes a plurality of first figures indicating respective imaging locations of a plurality of the captured images.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16 , wherein the second figure is displayed on the first image along a direction from the first image to the second image.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16 , wherein the acquiring step comprises acquiring the captured images and the map using the imaging device, which is an omni-directional imaging device including at least two imaging elements.

Assignees

• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Mitsui Satoshi
• Kushimoto Kei
• Nishide Kohichi
• Sato Tomotoshi

Classifications

• H04N1/32128 Primary

  attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image (for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144) · CPC title

• H04N23/45

  for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images · CPC title

• H04N23/698 Primary

  for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture · CPC title

• H04N23/50

  Constructional details · CPC title

• H04N23/80

  Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof · CPC title